Hot Topics for BACWA in 2008 Dave Williams

Hot Topics for BACWA in 2008 Dave Williams Chair of the Executive Board January 2008 BACWA – Leading the way to protect our Bay

2007 – A Busy Year for BACWA • Team Work, Communication and Coordination across BACWA Members • Building Relationships – Meetings with State Board, WB and EPA • Collaboration with Clean H 2 O Summit – SSO Training and Ops Certification Issue • Regulatory Issues for Permits and Basin Plans • Water Recycling • Collection System Issues • Climate Change

BACWA Provides a Return On Investment • Completion of the Hg TMDL • Watershed Permit for Hg • Active and engaged Committees • Cu and CN SSO Adoptions • Regional Collaboration on new issues • Meetings with WB and EPA Staff • Staff Development – Networking across the Region and Professional Development

Focus on The Three C’s • Communication • Collaboration • Cooperation

Active and Visible Advocacy for Cleanwater Agencies • All participants of BACWA have been active over the last year – Board and Committee Meetings – Meetings with WB, EPA, SWRCB, NGOs – Collaborating on Comment Letters • To WB, SWRCB and EPA – Providing Testimony – Participation in IRWMP – Regional Biosolids Collaboration

Success on Completion of Basin Plans • Completing Basin Plan Amendments – Cu Site Specific Objective – CN Site Specific Objective – Hg TMDL Adopted • All three Basin Plans at EPA Region 9 for Approval • Hg Watershed Permit Adopted

Especially Busy Year with Permits • Compliance Schedules are no longer allowed in permits • Numerical effluent limits for Dioxin • New requirements for blending • BACWA Permit Committee engaged and working together on these issues • Comments and Appeals on all permits • ED testifies at Water Board

Groundbreaking Water Recycling Work by BACWA Committee • “The Importance of Recycled Water for the San Francisco Bay Area” – Copies for sent to all members so you can share with your elected officials • Workshop in October in cooperation with Water Reuse Foundation – Committee is considering next steps

BACWA As Visible Representative of Our Agencies • Annual Report provides information about the activities of the organization • Article for the Pulse of the Estuary – “The History of Municipal Wastewater Treatment; 35 Years of POTWs Protecting the Bay” – Provides historical view of our accomplishments – Prepared as part of the 35 Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

Awards and Recognition for our BAPPG • EPA Environmental Award for Outstanding Achievement – Safe Medicine Collection Events in May 2006 and April 2007 • First Teng Chung Wu Award for P 2 – Creating a Dental Amalgam Program • Outstanding CCMP Award for SF Estuary Project – Pharmaceutical Collection Program

Biosolids Committee Active on Solano County Ordinance • Provides for ability to continue land application of class B in Solano County

Anticipated Focus for 2008 • Collections Systems • Implementation of Basin Plan Amendments • Permits • Biosolids Strategy • Special issues – Dioxin and Bacteria – Se TMDL • Beyond Pollution Prevention

BACWA’s Commitment on Collection Systems Issues is Unwavering • Fact Sheet on Laterals • Work with North Bay Watershed Association on Model Ordinance • Continue to work on reporting via statewide electronic systems • Inspection/Audits from Regulatory Agencies

Implementation of New Requirements • Hg TMDL – Local Effects determination – Risk Reduction – New annual reports – Complete WERF study – Dental amalgam for entire region

Copper SSO – North of the Dumbarton Bridge • Provides for: – Dissolved objectives for specific segments – Translators for deep water – Implementation Plan – Monitoring Plan

Cu SSO Implementation in Permits • WQBEL regardless of reasonable potential • Baseline Program for P 2 • Advanced P 2 if warranted • Support of Studies • Monitoring and Reporting

Cyanide SSO • New Standards for SF Bay Marine Waters – Chronic – Acute 4 day average 2. 9 ug/l 1 Hour 9. 4 ug/l • Dilution Credits for Shallow Water Dischargers • Implementation Plan

What to Expect In NPDES Permits • WQBEL • Influent, Effluent Monitoring and participation in RMP for ambient monitoring • Source Review every 5 years • If potential for CN in influent – Prevent illicit discharges – Inspect, Educate and Emergency response plan

New Challenges – Shellfish Designation in Basin Plan • Working with WB and national experts on designation and what it means for permits

Numerical WQBELs for Dioxin • BACWA working with WB/EPA and independent panel on Issue Paper • Create a shared understanding of the dioxin issues for SF Bay

PCB TMDL • Many of the same issues as Hg – Legacy – WLA and Permit Limits – Implementation of TMDL – Adaptive management • Continue development of multi-box model of the Bay and these type of legacy pollution

Biosolids – What Options Do We Have? • April 11, 2008 BACWA-Wide Workshop on Biosolids Issues for the Bay Area/Nor Cal – Understand our issues – Discuss our options – Create a strategic agenda and vision for our Biosolids Committee

Pollution Prevention Will Play Even Bigger Role in Compliance • Our tool kit is getting more sophisticated • Relying on our Media Relations and our dedicated staff across BACWA Members

Wait, There’s More • Lab Committee is working on important issues related to analytical methods and reporting for DMR • Recycled Water Committee – follow up on the successful workshop and update our chapter for the IRWMP • AB 32 and GHG issues as part of AIR and participation in statewide committee

Forging Alliances and Focusing on the 3 Cs • Our desire is to make our mission a reality • Produce cleanwater for SF Bay • Don’t want to get burned

Leading the Way to Protect Our Bay